Halab or Aleppo (ancient Beroea), city in northern Syria, capital of Ḩalab Governorate. It lies on a plateau 427 m (1400 ft) high, midway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates River. The second largest city of Syria, Ḩalab is an agricultural trading center and has factories producing carpets; silk, cotton, and wool textiles; silverware and gold ware; leather goods; and embroidery. Ḩalab consists of an old and a new town; the former is enclosed within a wall dating from medieval times.